Foot-action flusher or water-supply device.



B. G. WENKBF. 8: J. F. KRAUSB. FOOT ACTION PLUSHEP. 0R WATER SUPPLYDEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 27, 1913.

1,083,382. Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

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WITNESSES. INVENTOR; BM-ugcbu PW/90L ATTORNEY.

B. G. WENKER & J. P. KRAUSE. FOOT ACTION FLUSHER 0R WATER SUPPLY DEVICE.APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1913.

1,083,382. Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTORSI ATTORNEY UNHED STATES PATENT OFFEQSE. BENEDICT e. wnm'z nnAND JOHN B. muse, or ST. JOSEPH, MIssoURr. roar-senor unseen, onwirnasvrrr savior.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied February 27, 1913. Serial No. 781,013.

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that we, BENEDICT G. WEN- KER and JOHN F. Knansn, citizensof the United States of America, residing at St. Joseph, in the countyof Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Foot-Action Flushers or Water-Supply Devices, of whichthe following is a specification.

In public buildings and at watering troughs where cattle and otheranimals are watered there is probably more water wasted by reason of notbeing turned off and running freely when not used than that which isused.

The object of our invention is to provide a device through which watermay be turned on at lavatories, urinals, sinks, drinking fountains,troughs for watering animals and atany other places where requiredeither for drinking or flushing purposes by the simple weight of theperson or animal stepping upon a platform while the removal of theWeight by the person or animal stepping off the platform instantly shutsoff the flushing process or supply thereby preventing all waste ofwatenas well as obviating the necessity for turning water on or off.

We accomplish our object by the mechanism shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a platform, broken away, and anelevat-ional view of a foot action valve and a regulating valve, thefoot action valve shown in normal position; Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional view of a portion of the valve stem and washers; Fig. 3 is across sectional elevation of a platform and the foot action valve asconnected together; Fig. 4 is a top view of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is anenlarged sectional detail of a portion of the platform and frame and thegaskets and one of the supporting springs for theplatform seated in asocket.

Similar letters refer to corresponding parts throughout the severalviews.

In the accompanying drawings A is the platform and B is a floor whichplatform and floor are on a corresponding level when the platform is innormal position. The platform is supported on a plurality of springs AAseated in sockets b b'and provided with gaskets A A?, as shown in Figs.3 and 5. A is the platform frame which is provided with a rest A*,asshown in all its in Fig. v3. B and B are metal flanges to holdrubberwashers-as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Said frame and platform arepreferably constructed of iron, brass or copper. The frame can be set inwood, cement, tile or any kindof floor having a smooth sur-- face andthe platform can be perforated to serve as "a drain.

C is a self closing valve the body of which is cast of brass or othersuitable metal; it is provided with a heavy straight valve stem C with-asolid ring D cast thereon. Said stem 0 does not connect with platform A:the platform merely rests upon it. The valve body is provided with aseat D, and said stem is provided with a leather gasket (1, a brasswasher d and a screw 61 E is an upright chamber on said valve. A spiralspring E, of brass or other suitable material, rests on a brasswa's'lierE and bears against the ring D; under said brass washer thereis a leather washer E said washer Et being adapted to prevent waterseeping into the chamber when the spring operates. At

the top of said spiral spring above ring D there is a loose brass washerF. F is a supplementary leather washer; said washers F and F rest on anannular shoulder in the upper part of upright chamber E, shown inFig. 1. F is a cap which closes the top of said upright chamber andbears down on washers F and F.

F is a stufling box and F is candle wicking.

H is a plug screwed into the bottom of the valve in an opening of largercircumference than seat D to permit the replacement 0 gasket or washer dwhen worn.

H H are union connections which are a part of the valve; bydisconnecting the same, valve G can be taken out and repacked I is theinlet of valve: C and J is the out let of said valve. v a

K is a regulating valve which can be installed at any convenient placeeither directly under platform A or at a distanc therefrom. The objectof valve *K is to regulate the running stream only.

L is a pipe which can be connected to any fixture or other pipe.

1M'is a pipe to connect with a water sup- P Y- 1 NJis an opening betweeninlet I and out- P P are hangers attached to the bottoms of springsockets b b or to any other convenient and firm support.

The running pressure is always regulated by the man by whom they areinstalled and can be made greater or less as found desirable.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that when aperson steps on platform A the weight of the person presses the platformslightly down; the platform in turn presses stem C down which carriesbrass washer d and gasket away from seat D allowingthe water to passfrom inlet I into outlet J to pipe L continuin the flushing or watersupply process until the person steps off the platform when springs A Ainstantly lift t e platform to its normal position spring Esimultaneously raising stem C, gasket d and its connected parts thusclosing opening N and instantly stopping the flushing or water supplyprocess. By way of illustration: There is a trough in a street (notshown) to water horses. By our invention we make it possible for thehorse to turn on water for himself to drink by stepping his two forefeet on our platform; when he steps off the water ceases to flow. Whereflushing fixtures are used as in urinals in a public or other building aman cannot use the same when our apparatus is attached without havingrunning water at the same time. A person may walk up to a drinkingfountain, step on our platform, and without knowing it, by his weight,turn water, on; he steps off the platform and the water is shut off.This can also be done by an animal at a watering trough.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a foot action flusher and water supply device the combination of aplatform and a plurality of springs thereunder, arest therefor, unionsand the necessary receiving and discharge pipes, a regulating valvesuitably placed in the receiving pipe, a self closing valve connected to,said pipes and comprising an inlet and an outlet, a lower chambercommunicating with said inlet and a higher chamber communicating withsaid outlet and an opening between said chambers, a plug in the bottomof said lower chamber, an upright chamber, a spiral spring therein, acap for closing the upper end of said chamber, a stem extending nornallyfrom said opening through said cap and up to and abutting against saidplatform, a solid ring on said stem at the top of said spiral spring,washers on said stem between .said cap and upright chamber, washersslidable on said stem at the bottom of said spring, a gasket, washer andscrew at the bottom of said stem normally closing said opening, saidgasket, washer and screw being moved below said opening when said stemis pressed down by weight on said platform thereby flushingor supplyingwater, said stem being elevated by said spiral spring when pressure onsaid platform is removed the platform being simultaneously raised by theplurality of springs thereunder.

2. In a foot action flusher or water supply device, a platform, a framecomprising a rest and a plurality of sockets under the platform, acorresponding plurality of plat form actuating springs seated in saidsockets, a valvespaced below said platform comprising inlet and outletchambers and an opening the axis of which is vertically disposed in thedivision wall between said inlet and outlet chambers, a stem the top ofwhich is adapted to engage with said platform and the bottom thereofhaving a gasket adapted to engage with the wall surrounding saidopening, an upright chamber, a spiral spring operating therein normallyadapted to lift. said gasket into enopening and retain it in suchengagement when downward pressure on said platform is removed therebyautomatically stopping the flushing or Water supply process.

3. In a foot action fiusher and water supply device, a valve body havingunion connections and comprising an inlet chamber, a plug in the bottomthereof, and an outlet chamber extending part way over the inlet\chamber, the division wall between said chambers having an opening, anupright chamber on the top of said valve body, a cap for the uprightchambers and a stuifing box, a stem, a solid ring cast on said stem nearthe top of said upright chamber, a loose brass and a supplementaryleath'er washer above said'ring, a gasket and washer secured to thebottom of said stem and adapted to normally close said opening, a spiralspring in said upright chamber one of its ends engaging with said solidring to force said gasket and washer up to their normal positions andstop the flushing or water supply process after said gasket and washerhave been forced down into the inlet chamber to permit such process.

4. A device of the kind described comprising a platform and a restthereunder, a plurality of sockets in the rest, a valve casing spacedbelow said platform and rest, an upright chamber on the top of saidvalve casing, aoap and stufling box on the top of said upright chamber,a spiral spring in said upright chamber, said valve casing having ahorizontal division wall providing inlet and outlet chambers, and havingan opening between said chambers, a stem provided with a gasket, washerand screw at the bottom and a solid ring midway thereon, said stemextending vertically from said inlet chamgagement with the wallsurrounding the,

her, through said outlet and upright chambers, cap and stuffing box andrest member into contact with said platform, said ring positioned withinthe chamber and one end of the spiral spring bearing against the ringand tending to move said stem outwardly, said stem being adapted to openthe device for flushing or a water supply when said platform is presseddown and shutting off such flushingor water supply when the platformpressure is withdrawn.

5. A self closing valve consisting of a body of suitable material,horizontally dis- 1 posed inlet and outlet chambers therein arranged oneabove the other, the division wall between said chambers having anopening therein the axis of which is vertically disposed in said wall, aplug in the bottom of the lower chamber, union connections at the inletand outlet openings of the inlet and outlet chambers respectively, anupright chamber on said valve body provided with an annular recesswithin the upper part thereof, a metal cap screwed on said uprightchamber, a stufling box screwed on said cap, a valve stem extendingthrough said upright chamber having its lower end threaded, a metal ringmidway on and rigid with said valve stem and located in the uprightchamber, metal washers and a gasket between the same on the lower end ofsaid stem and a screw to retain said washers and gasket in place, thegasket adapted to seal and unseal said opening, a metal washer and aleather washer thereunder in the bottom of said upright chamber, aspiral spring seated thereon its upper end engaging with the bottom ofsaid ring, a metal washer resting in said annular recess and asupplementary washer between said metal washer and the cap to preventwater that may have oozed up into the upright chamber seeping throughsaid cap.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

BENEDICT G. WEN KER. JOHN F. KRAUSE. Witnesses: Y

W. H. SHERWOOD, A. S. GILLESPIE.

